Before commissioning a biodiversity net gain report, bring the project’s current information together in one place. The useful starting point is a clear brief: what the team proposes, which stage the application has reached and which documents the team is working from.
This is a preparation checklist for a discussion about a BNG report. It is not a statement that every project needs the same report, survey or submission package. Agree the scope with the consultant for the particular site and application.
1. Explain the decision the report needs to support
Include the site address, a short description of the development, the planning authority, any application reference and the next decision or deadline. Explain whether the team is testing feasibility, preparing a submission, revising the design or planning commencement.
In England, the information needed with a planning application is distinct from the Biodiversity Gain Plan approval stage. Where the biodiversity gain condition applies, the plan must be approved before development begins. The government’s BNG planning guidance explains the stages. Check the planning validation checklist alongside the relevant authority’s requirements.
If the team believes an exemption applies, include the supporting rationale and application history for review. Do not assume that the size or description of a project alone answers the question.
2. Send a controlled set of drawings
Identify the current red-line boundary and provide the existing and proposed plans available to the team. Include landscape proposals where these exist. Mark each document with its drawing number, revision and date, and explain any areas still subject to design change.
| Item | Useful note to add |
|---|---|
| Site boundary | Which revision defines the current proposal? |
| Existing and proposed layouts | Which features will the proposal retain, remove or change? |
| Landscape information | Is this an early concept or a coordinated proposal? |
| Previous submission set | Which files replace earlier versions, and why? |
Ask the appointed ecologist which file formats will be useful. A drawing index is often more helpful than a large folder with several files called “latest”. Keep superseded files separately and retain them as part of the project record.
3. List the ecological evidence already available
Provide existing ecology reports, habitat plans, condition evidence and metric workbooks if the project has them. Record who prepared each item and when the survey or assessment took place. Make any known limitations visible, including parts of the site that were not accessible.
For an existing statutory biodiversity metric workbook, identify the version and the drawing set it relates to. The appointed specialist should check the appropriate current tool and guidance rather than assume an earlier workbook remains suitable. Use the official statutory metric tools and guides as the version reference.
Do not commission a repeat survey solely because a file is missing from your folder: first ask the project team what evidence exists and whether the team can supply it for review.
4. Make delivery questions visible
Explain who owns or controls the land and who will manage proposed habitats. Identify unresolved access, maintenance or responsibility questions. Where a habitat management and monitoring plan will be relevant, these questions help connect the design discussion with the people who will deliver it.
At this stage, distinguish a confirmed arrangement from an option the team is still exploring. For example, mark an unresolved management responsibility as an open question rather than presenting an assumption as a settled commitment.
5. Add a short gaps and decisions log
A simple register can identify each missing item, the person responsible and the target date for an answer. Give the consultant enough context to explain which gaps affect the initial scope and which the team can address later.
Illustrative example: an architect issues layout revision C while the landscape plan still refers to revision B. Flag the mismatch in the handover note, identify who will coordinate it and ask which version the consultant should assess. Do not silently combine the two into a supposedly final package.
Before commissioning a BNG report: final checks
- Name the project and its current planning stage.
- Identify the agreed drawing set and any known changes.
- List the ecology evidence and workbook versions available.
- Separate confirmed delivery arrangements from open questions.
- Ask for a scope that states assumptions, required inputs and the next steps.
To discuss the report scope, contact ACP with the project summary and a list of the documents available. The team can confirm an appropriate way to share the files and explain what further information they need.